(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the packaging of brick and, more particularly, to an apparatus for blending courses of fired brick from the top and bottom of a kiln car.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Bricks are normally arranged in fired kiln cars in a plurality of stacks of three stacks across the width of the kiln car and three stacks along the length thereof. The number of stacks may vary depending upon the size of the kiln car, Each stack includes a plurality of double-layer courses of brick with each successive course having the headers facing perpendicular to the headers of the previous course. Each layer of each course contains a plurality of rows and columns with 4 columns and 11 brick per column being the most common. The bricks in each column are arranged end-to-end and the bricks in the rows are spaced apart from side-to-side to allow hot gases from the kiln to more uniformly penetrate the stack of bricks.
The stacks on the kiln car generally do not correspond to the final strapped package as far as the number of brick in each row is concerned or the number of rows in each stack. Therefore, the courses of brick cannot be removed directly from the kiln car and stacked directly atop each other to form the final package because the number of bricks in each column or row on the kiln car is not generally the same as the number of bricks in each column or row on a finished package. For the most part, this is immaterial as the stacker receives columns of bricks having a fixed number of rows per column from the kiln car and forms the brick into one continuous group, which is subsequently cut off to the desired number of columns in the final package. However, the grouping of the brick courses unloaded from the kiln car into courses having a different number of rows for the final package does present problems.
One solution to this problem includes a breaking-down of courses from the kiln car into single high columns of multiple rows on an off-bearing conveyor, moving the bricks in a single file along the conveyor and regrouping by some mechanism at the end of the conveyor in the proper number of rows. The rows are then reformed into the desired number of courses and stacked in the final package.
Another solution to the problem is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,776,398, issued to Stewart et al., wherein a special pick-up head unloads the bricks from the kiln car and transfers them to the conveyor to rearrange bricks in mid-air by shifting the pick-up gripper elements.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 3,964,597, issued to Brown et al., discloses an apparatus in which brick courses are successively lifted and transferred from a kiln car onto the receiving end of a marshalling table with the longitudinal dimension of the bricks extending transversely to the table. A push mechanism pushes against the cut surface of the bricks and moves the bricks longitudinally on the table toward the discharge end thereof and urges the bricks against an upstanding wall of a moveable marshalling carriage. The carriage slides from a first position beneath the discharge end of the marshalling table to a second position beyond the discharge end in response to the pressure entered by the push mechanism. When a prescribed number of brick have been pushed against the upstanding wall and the moveable carriage moved to a second position, the push mechanism is deactivated and a clamp engages and holds the brick remaining on the marshalling table. The marshalling carriage is then moved an additional distance to space the bricks thereon from the bricks remaining on the marshalling table. A transfer push-off then moves the bricks from the carriage transversely from the receiving end of a conveying apparatus from where the bricks are moved to the stacking and strapping apparatus.
The above methods are satisfactory for most dehacking operations but in some firing situations it is desirable to be able to blend the upper and lower courses of brick with each other and with the rest of the brick in the stack prior to stacking and strapping. For example, when the brick are "flashed" to produce a darker surface, there may be considerable variability between the upper courses of brick on the kiln car and the lower courses.
Thus, there remains a need for new and improved dehacking apparatus which is operable to blend the upper and lower courses of brick with each other and, at the same time, blend these brick with the rest of the brick in the stack prior to stacking and strapping. Such an apparatus permits a greater flexibility in kiln operation while still providing a standard size package of brick for strapping.